Dr. Barbara Bastos de Freitas and Mirian dos Santos Mendes represented the SSB Group at the Food Biotechnology Conference, held in Sion, Switzerland, from September 8-9, 2026.

Dr. Freitas gave a talk titled  “A Desert-Derived Halospirulina for Natural Food Colour, Protein & Ketocarotenoids”. The presentation highlighted the characterization of a Halospirulina strain isolated from the Empty Quarter desert in Saudi Arabia, including its response to cultivation conditions and its potential as a source of protein and high-value pigments.

Mirian dos Santos Mendes presented the poster “KSA Algae Living Library as a discovery platform for sustainable food ingredients,” showcasing the SSB Group’s growing collection of native microalgae and cyanobacteria isolated from diverse environments across Saudi Arabia. The poster highlighted the Living Library as a platform for exploring local algal biodiversity and identifying strains with potential applications in sustainable food and ingredient development.

Together, the presentations highlighted ongoing efforts within the SSB Group to explore Saudi Arabia’s unique algal biodiversity and translate locally isolated strains into new opportunities for food biotechnology.